IGP milling courses planned in June

MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. — Kansas State University’s International Grains Program Institute (IGP) is planning two milling courses in June: Managing Mill Balance and Control, June 2-5; and Milling Practices to Improve Flour Quality, June 9-12. Both will be at the IGP Institute Conference Center in Manhattan, Kansas, U.S.

This is the second year for the newly designed Managing Mill Balance and Control course.

“The course is focused on the milling principles applied to setting and balancing the break system to optimize flour extraction,” said Mark Fowler, IGP associate director and course coordinator. “Maintaining the mass balance of products flowing through the mill is a critical part of optimizing mill performance.”

The course covers topics including measuring break extraction, optimizing break release and product distribution for different classes of wheat and the impact of wheat quality on extraction. It provides students with more information about the milling process and how employees impact it.
The training is designed for milling engineers, operation managers, production managers and shift managers. Practical work experience in a flour mill is required to take the course.

Participant John Underhill from the 2014 course said going over the introductory information of milling was beneficial.

“I don’t actually mill on a daily basis, but I oversee those who do,” Underhill said. “So having a better understanding of what they’re required to do helps me out on my daily job.”

The Milling Practices to Improve Flour Quality course is an advanced training that will provide participants with an understanding of quantitative techniques to analyze and improve the quality of flour produced by improving their skills in evaluating the impact of milling on flour quality characteristics and milling efficiency, said Fowler.

The training is designed for milling engineers, operation managers, production managers, head millers and shift managers. However, anyone with a theoretical milling background and practical work experience in a flour milling may attend.

Topics covered in the training include analysis of mill flow sheets and design, analysis of mill balance and product distribution, adjustment of roll stands, sifting and sifter design, purification system and process control.

Past course participant Steve Mortimer said the hands-on portion of the course was the most beneficial.

“I wanted to learn about the physics of the machinery in wheat milling, how they work and what order they should go in,” Mortimer said. “I really enjoyed the mill work and the Hal Ross Flour Mill classes were a great way to learn. I enjoyed working with the machinery.”

Upon successful completion of either course, participants will receive continuing education credits that may be used toward a specialist certificate through the GEAPS-KSU Grain Processing Management credential.